On Thinking the Human

Robert Jenson's On Thinking the Human emerged from his decades of wrestling with how Christian theology addresses fundamental questions about human nature in conversation with contemporary philosophy and science. Writing as a systematic theologian deeply engaged with both the Lutheran confessional tradition and ecumenical dialogue, Jenson confronted the inadequacy of purely philosophical anthropologies to account for the full reality of human existence as understood through Scripture and Christian tradition.

Jenson argues that thinking adequately about humanity requires beginning with the triune God rather than abstract philosophical categories. He demonstrates how classical theological concepts like the imago Dei, the soul, embodiment, and human temporality provide more coherent accounts of human experience than secular alternatives. The work traces how Trinitarian theology illuminates human relationality, showing that persons exist fundamentally in communion rather than as isolated individuals. Jenson addresses contemporary challenges from neuroscience and evolutionary biology not by retreating from theological claims but by showing how Christian anthropology offers superior explanatory power for phenomena like consciousness, moral responsibility, and human dignity. He argues that humans are essentially temporal beings whose identity depends on narrative continuity, a insight that emerges clearly only when human existence is understood eschatologically.

This work has remained significant for its sophisticated engagement with contemporary intellectual challenges to Christian anthropology without surrendering theological distinctiveness. Jenson's integration of systematic theology with serious attention to scientific and philosophical developments has influenced subsequent theological anthropology across denominational lines. His emphasis on narrative identity and temporal existence has proven particularly fruitful for theologians addressing questions of personal identity, bioethics, and human flourishing.

Who should read this: Systematic theologians, philosophers of religion, and those in bioethics or pastoral care seeking robust theological foundations for understanding human nature. This is not introductory reading and assumes familiarity with both theological tradition and contemporary philosophical debates about personhood and consciousness.